LES PETITS SECRETS DE L’AGRUMISTE, QUI CULTIVE, MULTIPLIE ET MARIE 250 VARIÉTÉS D’AGRUMES AU MAROC

Here is episode 33 of the "Planète végétale" (Plant Planet) program from NewsJardinTV, sharing the passion for travel, plants, gardens, and nature that drives Nicole and Patrick Mioulane, the creators of this series. Original theme music by Sebastian Bustos and Marie M. You can find all the segments our traveling gardeners have already filmed on different continents of the world on our website: https://www.newsjardintv.com/planete-... In this new report, NewsJardinTV takes you to Morocco, to the Fes region, to meet Laurent Boughaba, nicknamed "The Citrus Grower," a charming childhood word (given to him by his son Ali) that he has made his trademark. The Tchin-tchin estate covers 100 hectares where 100,000 trees representing 250 cataloged varieties are cultivated, as well as 2,000 unique plants resulting from in-house crossbreeding. The name "Tchin-tchin" is a nod to the geographical origin of citrus fruits, China and Indochina, as the Arabic language often uses the word "tchin" for orange (or برتقالي). Wishing to root his children in a family culture connected to Morocco, where he was born, Laurent decided to plant trees. As an orange enthusiast, he initially planned to create an orange grove. However, he quickly realized the extraordinary diversity of citrus fruits (all plants of the genus Citrus and their countless hybrids). He therefore acquired this large property and then sought out the world's leading specialists to further his training, as the scientific aspect is particularly important to him. This is how he became involved with the Citrus Biological Resource Center of INRAE ​​and CIRAD in San Giuliano, Corsica, and forged friendships with two renowned French specialists: Bénédicte and Michel Bachès (nursery owners in Eus, Pyrénées-Orientales). He even traveled to Japan to meet collectors. He quickly developed a desire to gather as many different specimens as possible in order to create the greatest possible genetic diversity. He also wanted to observe the behavior of plants from very different backgrounds, in very specific ecosystems and soil and climate conditions. The challenge was to rediscover agricultural techniques to ultimately obtain the same fruit quality as that which the plant produces in its natural habitat. One of the most important factors in this is the rootstock. However, the terroir plays a crucial role. In Morocco, temperature variations are extreme: up to nearly 50°C in summer, and brief periods of frost around 0 to -3°C in winter. This is the opposite of Japan's temperate, oceanic climate. The challenge, therefore, was to acclimatize varieties from the other side of the world so that they would ultimately produce high-quality fruit. The estate's main crop is the lime (Citrus aurantiifolia), which is actually a hybrid of lemon (Citrus limon) and Persian lime (Citrus latifolia) developed in North Africa. While the largest commercial plantations are now located in South America, Laurent Boughaba is undertaking a "return to his roots" with his production. Citrus fruits originated in the regions at the foot of the Himalayas (India, Pakistan), then spread through Central Asia before reaching the Mediterranean coast, particularly North Africa. The citrus tree's ability to hybridize has led to the immense diversity we see today. Since citrus trees are entomophilous (pollinated by insects), they are naturally hybridized by bees that carry pollen from one plant to another, unintentionally creating hybrids. The seeds thus produce rather heterogeneous populations, which explains why varieties are always grafted. Beyond production, the Tchin-tchin orchard develops a breeding and selection program through controlled hybridization. The bee is replaced by applying the pollen (male) of a chosen variety to the pistil (female) of the tree, which will develop a fruit whose seeds will be like "offspring," each with its own unique characteristics. It takes about ten years to obtain a truly new variety. The field is particularly advanced today in the search for new finger limes. Thank you for following NewsJardinTV's posts and enjoying our videos, including our show: Le Quotidien du Jardin! A 100% plant, garden, botany, nature, and gardening program, with over 550 episodes already online. We are also developing a visual encyclopedia of plants and gardens on Instagram; discover it at:   / newsjardintv   Nicole and Patrick look forward to seeing you again very soon to share new gardening adventures together… It's on NewsJardinTV, and nowhere else!